'God of War: Ascension' developers cautious on violence

Published Jul 21 2012, 10:34 BST  |  By Mark Langshaw

God of War: Ascension's development team were cautious over the game's violent content, according to Sony Santa Monica boss David Hewitt.

The studio executive said that the firm was keen to avoid depicting violence towards women to ensure the title does not become embroiled in the controversy that has surrounded the series in the past.



Hewitt told IGN: "We do revel in it somewhat but the violence is there to show Kratos dealing with his demons and enacting that revenge in a very physical, hands-on way.

"There are some things we've pulled back from. I think where this has been an issue is with violence against women - the team's pulled back from some of that and assessed that a little more carefully.

"There are certain things that carry has a different kind of resonance that we don't want to get into. This isn't about statement-making in that regard. It's about fleshing out this character."

God of War: Ascension will present a more human side of Kratos, set in a time before his desire for vengeance consumed him. The storyline takes place before the events of the first God of War and sees the Spartan warrior attempt to break free of Ares's bonds.

The upcoming prequel will be the first entry in the series to include multiplayer support, enabling up to eight players to compete in a variety of game modes and customise their characters.

God of War: Ascension will be released for PlayStation 3 on March 12, 2013.

Watch a trailer for God of War: Ascension below: